Tomato Varieties and Disease Resistance
Tomato Variety Resistance Growth Type
|
ACE |
VF |
DET |
|
YELLOW PEAR |
|
IND |
|
EARLY GIRL |
VF |
IND |
|
BETTER BOY |
VFN |
IND |
|
CHAMPION |
NFT |
IND |
|
LEMON BOY |
VFNT |
IND |
|
CELEBRITY |
VFFNT |
DET |
|
FLORAMERICA |
VFFAL |
DET |
|
HEATWAVE |
FFAL |
DET |
|
ROMA |
VFD |
DET |
|
BEEFSTAEK |
VFN |
IND |
|
BRANDYWINE |
|
IND |
|
BEEFMASTER |
VFN |
IND |
|
SWEET 100 |
VFNT |
IND |
|
SUPERSWEET 100 |
VF |
IND |
|
CHERRY |
VFAL |
DET |
|
GRAPE |
|
SDET |
|
PATIO |
VF |
DET |
|
LEGEND |
LB |
DET |
|
SUNGOLD |
F,FF,T,V |
IND |
LB – Late Blight
Determinate vs. Indeterminate
Tomatoes are commonly classified as determinate or indeterminate. Determinate, or bush, types bear a full crop all at once and top off at a specific height; they are often good choices for container growing. Indeterminate varieties develop into vines that never top off and continue producing until killed by frost. As an intermediate ground, there are plants sometimes known as "vigorous determinate" or "semi-determinate"; these top off like determinates but produce a second crop after the initial crop.
Determinate tomatoes need no pruning other than removing all suckers below the first flower cluster, because pruning won't affect their fruit size or plant vigor. If you do any pruning at all above the first flower cluster on determinate tomatoes, you'll only be throwing away potential fruit.
Determinate tomato plants have a predetermined number of stems, leaves, and flowers hardwired into their genetic structure. The development of these plants follows a well-defined pattern. First, there is an initial vegetative stage during which all the stems, most of the leaves, and a few fruit are formed. This is followed by a flush of flowering and final leaf expansion. Finally, during the fruit-fill stage, there is no further vegetative growth. As the tomato fruits ripen, the leaves senesce and die. Commercial growers favor this type of tomato because all the fruit can be mechanically harvested at once. The major advantage of planting determinate plants in a home garden is early harvest
Indeterminate tomatoes can have from one to many stems, although four is the most I'd recommend. The fewer the stems, the fewer but larger the fruits, and the less room the plant needs in the garden. For a multi-stemmed plant, let a second stem grow from the first node above the first fruit. Allow a third stem to develop from the second node above the first set fruit, and so forth. Keep the branching as close to the first fruit as possible. This will make the side stems vigorous but will not overpower the main stem.
Remember that while these varieties are resistant to certain diseases, there is no single variety which is resistant to all diseases which affect the crop. So, you'll still have to maintain a fungicide application program for early blight, Septoria leaf spot, and some of the other fungus diseases for which resistant varieties aren't widely available.
Want to try varieties which aren't disease resistant? Heirloom favorites such as "Brandywine," or "Old German" have been around a long time and are becoming more popular. You'll enjoy their great taste, but remember: these varieties have little disease and nematode resistance, so take care to plant them in areas where Fusarium wilt or root-knot nematodes haven't been a problem in past seasons.